Solid-state buttons in iPhone 20: Leakers firmly believe in it

The iPhone 20 will be something special, the rumor mill is convinced. However, the speculations about what exactly might come for the round number are increasingly resembling a best-of of predictions that have not come true in recent years. After a completely borderless glass display, another old rumor is returning from China in a new guise: the anniversary iPhone is said to have no physical buttons anymore.

The rumor has now been revived by leaker Instant Digital, who has been making waves with leaks on the Chinese network Weibo for years. Many of his pieces of information, apparently originating from the supply chain industry, have proven true. These include the landscape cameras on newer iPads and the nano-texture glass on the iPad Pro with M4. However, the anonymous account holder, who has around 1.5 million followers, has also been wrong a few times.

Technical problems solved?

Now, the Chinese leaker claims that Apple has completed functional testing for a larger solid-state button system for the iPhone. In the future, the power button, volume buttons, camera controls, and action button will all be solid-state buttons that provide the feel of physical buttons through haptic feedback.

The prediction is not new. As early as for the iPhone 15 Pro in 2023, several reports predicted that the change was coming. However, “Project Bongo,” as the working title is said to be, never materialized. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo later attributed this to “unresolved technical issues before mass production.” In 2024, before the iPhone 16 Pro, it was said again that solid-state buttons were coming. But again, nothing came of it, and the project was reportedly postponed indefinitely.

Solid-state buttons have many advantages

That Apple is considering solid-state buttons is considered a done deal. In addition to better protection against water ingress, as fewer physical openings are needed in the device, increased durability due to the absence of mechanical parts is also considered an incentive. Apple would also have more design options, and the buttons could react differently to various pressure levels. Disadvantages are that the buttons are non-functional without power and could also cause problems for users when they are encased in covers.

The iPhone 20 is expected for the 20th anniversary of the first iPhone's release, in 2027. Apple would have to skip a number for this, as “only” the iPhone 17 was introduced this year. However, this would not be an unusual step, as Apple does not have a consistent numbering scheme for the iPhone anyway.

(mki)